In Search of the Past
by Legendary Biologist
Summary: Guile had forgotten his past but he had something that he needed to look for. The novelization of Chrono Cross on Guile's perspective, set after the CT DS Dream Devourer ending. AU-ish to insert Chrono Trigger storyline.
1. Prologue: Flashback

**IN SEARCH OF THE PAST**

I came out with an idea to do a novelization of Chrono Cross with Guile's perspective. The setting is the post CT DS ending, in which Magus/Janus was sent away by Schala and woke up amnesiac in a forest. There will be spoilers for the game (though there are several changes).

**DISCLAIMER: Chrono Cross doesn't belong to me.**

XXX

**PROLOGUE: Flashback**

It was just like yesterday. The days I spent learning at Magic Guild passed so quickly. But I hated what I had passed there; the moment my _friends_ became jealous of my title.

Because of their acts, I didn't look like the old me anymore. My ears had become round. My vampire fangs were now non-existent, for the regular teeth of humans had replaced them. I had concealed the top half of my face behind a golden mask. What remained during that accident were only my long blue hair and the fragments of my silver amulet. I was but a normal human now, adorned in white garment.

But I wouldn't care about my appearance. Whether I would eventually be a fiend again or not, it wouldn't be an obstacle for me. All I wanted was just to find what I had been searching for; something that I had been thinking about for so long.

One afternoon, I came to visit my old friend at Termina; an old woman in green robe who had spent her days as a fortune-teller at this town. She was my friend at Magic Guild, who could never stop asking many questions about myself. Unfortunately, I always had trouble answering her questions as I didn't know much about my childhood... All I could do was only avoiding her by telling a bunch of white lies, but I did not feel that it was something a gentleman would do. So I decided to make a promise that one day we would talk about it during my leisure. However, if she were to ask deeper questions, there was nothing I could do other than lying or derailing the conversation. Such was life.

"Sir Guile! You're finally here!" the woman said. "You've promised to tell me about your past today, especially about how you found Magic Guild...and much more!"

I nodded and began the storytelling whilst hoping that this would stop her from asking more.

xxx

_Alone in the darkness, without any source of light. There was nothing I could see. Neither could I hear anything.__After flying aimlessly for a few seconds, I decided to stop a while. Oddly, I could feel that I was standing as if there were concrete ground._

_All of a sudden, my heart was beating faster and faster. I felt heavy and was forced to my knees, as if there were an invisible force that pressed me. I could feel stinging pain in my entire body. Soon the pain was gone, and I could no longer feel anything._

_Tweet!_

_That noise snapped me into consciousness. Now I could feel blades of grass grazing against my cheeks._

_Rising to sitting position, I asked, "W-who am I? What has happened?"_

_I received no answer. I'd have thought that I was in a sound void if there hadn't been the noises of the chirping birds and buzzing bees. I looked around, but only to find white rays slanting through the canopies of the trees._

_I shook my head and said, "I…don't remember anything but there is something…something that I need to find!"_

_I got up and clenched my fists. It would be hard, but nothing could stop me from finding a way to remember. It would not be wrong if I made efforts to learn more about the start of all this, would it?_

_So I walked westward. As I walked, I felt my hair whipping my face. I had long hair I supposed… Also, I felt like there was cloth flapping around my neck and a small plank resting against my left thigh..._

_After a few minutes of walking, I arrived at a clearing, where I encountered a stretch of river. I looked at the clear water of the river, where I could see a pair of red eyes staring back at me amidst the glittering prisms. My long blue hair and red cape fluttered as the river breeze blew at me. What about the plank then? I focused, and saw that I was wearing an amulet, which chain was like strapped across my chest. Its trapezoidal plaque was dangling as another series of breeze blew._

_As I noticed that I had pointed ears, I gawked, revealing a pair of vampire fangs. Now I knew that I was not a human, but I still didn't know my true identity. Was I a human who had turned into a fiend?_

_I turned around and closed my eyes. "Despite knowing how I look, I still don't know who I am."_

_The soggy soil seeped into my leather boots as I walked towards the clusters of trees on the east of this river. There was only silence here, except for several splashes, which my boots created as they hit the damp earth. As I walked, I felt a bead of sweat trickling down my neck despite the breeze. I felt uncomfortable with my ignorance about my past and how I possessed such demonic appearance… Stop it! If I let my discomfort haunt me, I would not earn anything. I had better proceed and put that aside for now._

_Not long after that, I could feel that I was no longer stepping on the moist ground. Looking at the trees, I wondered how I could get out of this forest. Hmm, only palisade of tall trees stood before me.__I had to continue walking then._

_Each time I took a step, I scanned through the trees in hopes to find a clue to get out of the forest. But unfortunately, there was nobody. So I decided to sit under an oak tree beside me._

_With legs crossed, I placed my fingers on my chin.__Who was I? How could I be here?_

_My head dropped down a bit as I forced my eyes shut. __Alone in this forest, without anybody... Was I merely a person without friends or family? Or perhaps, were they what I'd been searching for? __I contemplated, but found no clues about my past. I did not even know who I was, let alone my family and origin. My heart pounded quickly as I tried to remember what happened earlier._

_Darkness._

_Waking up._

_Knowing myself as a fiend._

_Sitting under an oak tree, contemplating._

_Perhaps I had to give up now. Life did not seem to welcome me after all. Alone without identity and memory; what could be worse than that? I opened my eyes and brought my right hand to the front of my face. A fire spell would end everything... My sorrow would all be burned down to ashes, and everything was over... Wait! How did I know about magic? My hand trembled as I thought that. Maybe my conscience forbade me from killing myself. Was there a hope then?_

_A creak. That noise alarmed me, as if there were danger approaching. I got up and looked around. There was nothing on my sight, other than clusters of trees. They were all standing upright and singly, except one. There was a shadowy figure of a bald man with pointed ears standing beside an oak tree a few meters in front of me._

_Maybe I can ask him for help… Yes, that was what that suddenly fluttered in my mind. I ran and approached the figure, which twitched as I said, "Excuse me, mister."_

_The man turned around and asked, with a smile on his wrinkled face, "Yes, how can I help you?"_

_"Mister, do you know how to get out of this forest?" I asked._

_The old man brushed his white mustache and replied, "I can guide you out of this forest. Anyway, where do you come from?"_

_"I d-don't know… I don't even know who…who I am," I stammered._

_"Judging from your appearance, you're a fiend. Maybe you're interested to be an apprentice at Magic Guild?" the old man offered._

_Hearing the words 'Magic Guild', I had a heavy feeling in my stomach. "Magic… That sounds familiar. But I'm a fiend… I do think that humans will look down on me."_

_"Don't worry! I'm the founder throughout the Magic Guild and also a fiend. You know, fiends are so guileful that they can deceive humans!" the old man said. "If humans dare to pose any problems, we fiends can use our wits to deceive them."_

_His words were quite convincing. Humans would not be any problems for me and perhaps all fiends. Also, I believed if I learnt about magic, I would know my origin! I then nodded. "Very well, I'll join."_

_"Great! Because you have no idea about your identity, tell me what you would like to be called!" the old man said rapidly._

_With fingers my on my chin, I said, "You may call me…Guile."_

xxx

"Time flies like lightning, ma'am," I told the old woman. "That's how I found out about the Magic Guild."

The old woman laughed like a witch. "Hah, Sir Guile! That's not enough! May I know why do you wear a mask too?"

_Wasn't she supposed to know about the accident at Magic Guild that transformed me into a human? I thought she would be able to recall that incident by looking at my green eyes, which were red in the past._ I told her, "I am sorry, but I'd prefer that you didn't ask the reason behind wearing a mask, ma'am."

The old woman said, "Or maybe you'd like to have a bet?"

"Oh, gambling is fun at higher stakes," I replied, smiling.

"Good!" she said while grinning mischievously. "Tomorrow there will be a big festival at Viper Manor and I want to know whether you're worthy of the title 'Rising Star'. Find the Dragoon's Honor inside the mansion and bring that item to me tomorrow. If you can do it, I'll give you my rod. But if you can't, you must take off your mask and reveal your true face! So far I've heard that Viper Manor is an impenetrable fortress…"

Without any further thinking, I told her, "Fine. It's a deal!"

With that, the old woman cackled before disappearing with a puff of smoke. All I saw now was a red tent in front of me. Gasping, I realized that I had just agreed to do something dishonorable. Now I had to break into Viper Manor only to win this bet. I was so silly, was I not?

So I flew away, along the walkway of the town where I could see some people were strolling around, with flowers and bulky plastic bags in their hands. Well, shopping spree would not tempt me because a bottle of wine was more satisfying for me... No, put that aside for now. I had a better job to do. I had to think of a way to barge into the mansion.

XXX


	2. Chapter 1: To Viper Manor, Part 1

**IN SEARCH OF THE PAST**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**The accents here are based on the canon, and Korcha's accent is just strange as always.**

**DISCLAIMER: Chrono Cross doesn't belong to me.**

XXX

**CHAPTER 1: To Viper Manor, Part 1**

I flew and arrived in front of a stone building; a one-floored stone building.

I pushed the bar's door and paused, overhearing some of the conversations by the travelers who were sitting at the table, having their lunches. Amidst the scraping noises of the chairs, I overheard their conversation about the big festival that was going to be held tomorrow. However, they were speaking so rapidly. Even some of them were laughing. In no way they would be interested to help me with my business.

Frowning, I silently walked to the dark corner of the bar, dozing against the wall with my arms crossed. All those cheerful discussions about the Viper Festival crushed my mood to even order a bottle of wine! Hopeless, yeah. Perhaps I had to leave the bar and admit my defeat to my friend... It was not only because of my diffidence, but also my doubt to sneak into a mansion. It would be a disgrace if I were caught!

About a minute later, I heard an energetic voice of a girl saying, "Stupid boatman! He doesn't know the way to Viper Manor!"

A man's voice followed. "That's why I suggest going to the bar! Maybe there's someone who knows the way."

I opened my eyes and smirked. _Hmm… It seems that they can provide a great help for my business!_

I walked out of the dark corner and saw a blue-haired man was walking towards me, with a blond girl.

"Mister, do you know the way to Viper Manor?" the man asked, smiling.

I had overheard their conversation, but I pretended to be ignorant about it. I replied, "Actually I do have a business at Viper Manor. If you have found a boatman, I can help you out as I know the way to the bluff."

The man turned to the girl and said, "See, Kid? I'm right!"

"Oh, well…" Kid said, shrugging. "I guess it's the time to meet that boatman, eh, Serge?"

Serge nodded and turned to me. "Mister-"

I interjected, "'Guile' would suffice."

"All right, let's go!" Kid said, before running to the exit.

She paused for a while and looked back on us. "C'mon, we're gonna loot that mansion, and I don't wanna leave ya all behind!"

With that, Serge and I followed her.

Together we walked along the walkway of the city, where there were people walking back and forth with bags. I could feel beads of sweat trickling down my temple as I walked. The buildings standing beside the street seemed to be moving on the opposite direction of my movement, but this wasn't a mirage. Neither was this an illusion. Nor was this a dream. It was just the _law of nature_.

As the sound of the splashing water became audible, I knew that the walkway had led us to the brick bridge. The river breeze blew, bringing with it the smell of cinnamon and chocolate. Yes, the aroma was quite tempting as now was lunch time, but sadly, I couldn't create money with my magic. I'd rather pretend to be ignorant about my surroundings, even though I had seen a hawker opening the lid of a huge pot.

"One moment please. I want to have a talk with my friend," I told them as I walked to the peddler.

"Whatcha doin'? Lunch is over!" Kid asked, as she and Serge came to a stop.

_Kid had jumped to the conclusion too quickly._ Ignoring what she had said, I walked further away from the hawker; to a red tent. A puff of grey smoke emerged around the tent, and an old woman appeared.

Smirking, she said, "Sir Guile, have you found the item?"

I replied, "Do not rush me so, ma'am. I will be going now."

The woman looked directly on me and chuckled. "My victory is only a matter of time. That badge is actually in the treasure vault of the mansion… But despite having told you where it is, I believe that it'll be hard for you to reach it!"

I smirked a bit. _Just like I thought! You're so confident that you've leaked out a valuable piece of information!_

Suddenly, I heard a man's voice calling my name. I looked to my left side, and found out that Serge and Kid were standing beside me.

"Serge? Kid?" I asked, but unexpectedly, the old woman had walked towards Serge.

Standing beside the blue-haired man, the woman looked at Serge as if she were observing a tiny object without a magnifying glass.

I stood still and overheard her speech. "Well, this is interesting, boy. You aren't dead or anything, are you? Has anybody called you back from the great beyond? You just might be the key to the destruction of this entire planet. I can't say for sure, but fate seems to have a great task for you."

"Serge, this is nothin' but rubbish! Let's get movin'!" Kid blurted abruptly and yanked Serge's right hand.

As the two were getting further, I could hear Serge stammering, "B-but Kid, t-this is interesting!"

For one moment I paused, and Kid's appearance slowly changed as she was dragging Serge away. Instead of seeing a blond girl in a red overcoat and miniskirt, I saw a girl adorned in purple robe, with her voluminous blue hair tied with a red ribbon. Oddly, I didn't see the blue-haired girl was walking away with Serge. I could feel chills running down my spines.

_That girl… Who is she? Is she related to Kid? Or perhaps, she's the one that I've been looking for?_

I squinted, only to see that the girl was slowly fading as she was walking away.

_"Sir Guile, do you want to be left by your companions?"_

I gasped as that hoarse voice snapped me back to reality. Now I saw that the old woman was looking at me, her chin lifted.

"Um, I thought that I just saw something strange," I said.

The woman smiled before enveloping herself in smoke. In a half-minute she had gone, leaving a red tent visible on my sight.

_I don't know about who that girl is. However, once I've settled my business with this old woman, I'll find it out,_ I said to myself.

So I flew away to a brick staircase, which led me to the shrine. The lush vegetation within had brought an earthy scent to my senses. Amidst the trees, there lay a hut with thatched roof and a tomb.

I paused and looked to my right side, where a river lay, its water splashing against a wooden boat. On the riverbank, I could see Serge and Kid were talking to a boy with mohawk hairstyle. I continued to fly and came to a stop beside Kid.

"What took ya so long, Guile? We've been waiting for ya!" Kid said to me.

"Nothing," I replied calmly.

Kid nudged me in the side and said, "You're a real slowpoke. Now, you'd better tell Korcha the way to Viper Manor! He can take us there with his boat."

I turned around and saw Korcha hopping to the wooden boat that was floating on the river.

Looking at us, Korcha called, "C'mon, get on board! It's a little tight with four of us, but it'll be just a short trip. Don'tCHA worry!"

Serge, Kid, and I hopped to the boat. Due to its size, nobody could sit there. We were only a few centimeters apart to each other while standing; one wrong movement from anybody could knock one of us off the boat.

"Once we have made our way out of this river, simply sail to the northeast and we'll arrive at the bluff soon," I told Korcha.

Korcha nodded and dipped the wide end of his oar into the water, while saying, "Here we go!"

I could see that the boat had moved, rather smoothly as the current was in step with the movement. The wind blew, accelerating the speed of the boat.

As the boat was under the stone trestle, I looked up and saw a small group of children was standing on the bridge. One of the kids pointed at us and shouted out, "Look! A boat!"

_What a plebeian child…_ I smiled a bit as the boy and the bridge were getting smaller on my sight. All of a sudden, it was dark. Despite this, I could see a source of light a bit further. The size was growing bigger and soon, I could see the open sea.

"Korcha, keep on sailing to the northeast until you can see a land within the steep cliff," I said.

Korcha nodded and continued to row the boat. With nothing else to do, I looked at the sky, which was a mixture of cerulean and white hues. However, I saw a huge diamond-like object floating a bit far from my sight.

I blinked momentarily and found out that the diamond had transformed into a floating brown and green mass with a mountain and a waterfall. I shook my head, before looking back to the object again. Now, there were three green islets that were surrounding the largest island. My eyes were fixed on the set of islands, but suddenly, I felt a mixture of nostalgia, joy, and sorrow in my heart.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, and the feeling was gone. _Those islands…! What are they…?_

I turned around and opened my eyes. To my surprise, there was nobody other than a blue-haired girl, standing on the other end of the boat.

"I beg your pardon, miss," I said.

The girl turned to me, frowning. "Do not dwell on your past. Live on and be strong."

With that, she flew backwards slowly, leaving me puzzled.

_Who is she? Why is she talking like that?_

"Don't leave yet! I have some questions to ask you!" I said, as I also flew and chased her.

The girl closed her eyes, her tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Shaking her head, she muttered, "I am no longer the loving girl you know… Farewell…"

"No!" I shouted at top of my lungs, as I saw her accelerating.

I reached out my right hand, but she had gone far. Her shadow was getting smaller and smaller, until it eventually phased out of my sight.

I stopped and let out a sigh as that girl had left many unanswered questions in my mind… _How could she say that she was no longer the loving girl I know? I had never met her even!_

_"Oi, Guile! Where the hell are you going?"_

That voice stunned me. I turned around and saw that Kid was standing on a land, with several ladder-like structures and holes on the rocky wall behind her.

While tapping the ground with her foot, Kid yelled at me, "You're such a dreamer, ain't ya? We've arrived at our destination!"

"My apologies, Kid," I said, before turning my attention to Serge, who was clinging to the upper half of the ladder.

Suddenly, I heard Serge screaming as he lost his grip to the step. I quickly leapt and swooped, catching him on his right hand and thus, preventing him from hitting the hard ground below.

Serge smiled and said, "Thank you, Guile!"

I smiled back at him, and giggled as I saw his orange bandanna and blue hair were wet.

Korcha looked at us, scratching his head. "Don'tCHA think it's pretty dangerous?"

I landed softly on the ground and let go of Serge. "Indeed…"

I looked up, finding out that the cliff had a terraced structure. "But we'll make it."

Right after saying that, I heard a girl's voice responding to my words. "Talk less; do more! Let's get our arses in gear!"

Before I could turn around, Kid had stood in front of the ladder. She hopped and climbed the ladder, effortlessly dodging the jets of water that shot out of the holes beside the stair. Moments later, she had arrived on the second level of the land.

"Kid, wait for us!" Serge said.

I whispered to Serge, "Leave this to me. I'll fly you up there."

With that, Serge nodded. Holding his hand, I leapt and flew upwards.

As I was flying, I could hear Serge saying, "It's fun!"

_Well, kids…_ Hopefully he would not ask me how to fly after this because I didn't enjoy giving a lecture! He would fall asleep as I started for sure, because magic was something elusive.

Only in a short moment, I had been able to see Kid standing on the second level of the terraced bluff. With her hands on her hips, she grinned mischievously at us.

"Slowpoke!" was what I heard as I landed beside her.

I let go of Serge, who immediately walked towards Kid.

"I'd have been able to climb as fast as you did, if that damned spout of water hadn't hit me on my face!" Serge argued.

I looked at Serge and Kid, whose faces reddened and fists balled.

"That's just a lame excuse!" Kid yelled.

Serge exclaimed back. "That's what you think!"

"Shut yer trap!"

After a couple of reciprocal yelling between them, I shouted, "Stop! It's pointless to quarrel over a small problem!"

Serge and Kid didn't respond. They were still glaring at each other.

All of a sudden, I could hear someone shouting from above. "Intruders!"

A series of thud followed it. I looked up and saw that a huge cobble was falling upon us.

Instinctively, I conjured my staff. A red glow appeared on its forked tip, and lastly, a sphere of flame appeared. The fireball made its way through the air and hit the boulder, disintegrating it into dust and tiny rocks.

"Stay alert, everybody!" I warned.

Serge and Kid turned to me, their jaws dropped and eyes widened.

XXX


	3. Chapter 2: To Viper Manor, Part 2

**IN SEARCH OF THE PAST**

**Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate all your thoughts and comments! :)**

**Surprised with the quick update? Well, because my midterm is over, though still quite busy with my work.**

**DISCLAIMER: Chrono Cross doesn't belong to me.**

XXX

**CHAPTER 2: To Viper Manor, Part 2**

I heard another thud and looked up, only to find another boulder was falling. I pointed at it with my rod, which was glowing with red radiance. A fireball slowly appeared, and I launched it towards the boulder. A boom reverberated as the cobble shattered into myriads of small pebbles.

"We must split. I'll fly to the top to distract the mastermind of this chaos while you're climbing with Kid," I told Serge.

Serge nodded and turned to Kid. "Let's go!"

As I watched them running towards a stone ladder in front, I noticed that another boulder was tumbling down upon them.

"Serge! Kid! Look out!" I shouted.

Fortunately, Serge and Kid had leapt and managed to cling to the stone ladder as the boulder hit the ground with a thud.

Then I compressed my staff between my hands, shortening it into the length of a baton before tossing it into my left sleeve. Then I leapt.

To the left I flew, and the boulder had tumbled through the empty air and hard ground. I looked up, and saw that another boulder was falling down upon me. I flew to the right, dodging it before flying upwards in lightning speed. The terrain was coming down as I got higher. _Air friction and gravity would never slow me down._

I came to a stop and landed on the third level of the terraced cliff. I looked below, where I could see Serge and Kid climbing slowly.

_With this, they wouldn't look like a threat for the one who had been trying to stop us._

I paused for a while, but about a minute later, I heard a loud thud. I jumped to the right, and dodged a cobble that should have hit me.

I leapt and went airborne before flying upwards. To the left, and then to the right I moved, and so on, in order to dodge the falling boulders.

As I was getting closer to the fourth level of the bluff, I could see three men standing, their iron cuirasses and helmets shining under the sunlight. I landed softly in front of them and looked around. _Good. They had only one boulder left._

"What? How come?" One of them exclaimed.

"Get him!" another man said.

The two men drew their swords and charged at me. I quickly flew backwards, until I reached the edge of the terrain.

As the two men were about to reach me and swing their swords, I jumped aside and took out my staff. With its shaft lengthened, I swung it, hitting the two men on their legs. The two fell into the cliff on impact, screaming as several uncomfortable crashes boomed.

I brought my staff between my hands, shortening it into about my height. I flew back to the terrain and walked towards the other man, who was holding a huge stone.

"Take this!" The man exclaimed, before hurling the stone to my direction.

I leapt and entirely dodged the cobble. A thud echoed, followed with a loud squawk from behind me.

"No! I hit _his_ nest!" the man cried out.

Hearing those words, I landed on the ground and ducked. I felt strong wind blowing as something whizzed over my back. I looked up to see a blur of black slamming to the man, sending him falling off the cliff. _What had just happened?_

I stood upright with my staff ready. In front of me, there stood a creature with bipedal posture. Black-feathered and beaked; more akin to a raven man than a human. Raising his steel oar, he squawked and leapt. With his wings flapping rapidly on the air, he glided towards my direction. I leapt, dodging his strike.

Airborne, I saw a chink on his defense; he was about to turn around. I held my staff two-handed, with yellow electricity crackling along the shaft. And I swung it, unleashing a stream of lightning towards the raven man. The beast fell down quickly, but only in a short moment, he had regained composure and was flying towards me.

I charged and swung my weapon repeatedly, eventually leading to an exchange of swings and blocks between the raven man and me. Clashes resounded, and suddenly, the beast smacked my right arm with his oar. My staff had dropped from my hand and hit the ground beneath.

Feeling armless and vulnerable, I turned around and descended to the ground to retrieve my staff. Soon, I felt a powerful blow to my back, which sent me rocketing straight to the terrain. I crashed and felt an ache from my chest. I was unable to breathe momentarily, but soon, the pain subdued. On my sight, there was no sign of damage on the stone floor. Neither was there a crack. _How fortunate I was,_ _falling not from a high place!_

As I got up, I heard a squawk. I turned around, only to see that the raven man had reached out his talons.

Adrenaline poured forth into my veins. Beads of sweat trickled down my temple. My heart was beating faster as I watched the bird man making his way to my direction.

Was it the end of my journey? Without my staff, I could only cast lesser spells... No, wait! I was on the verge of victory, as I had found my staff lying on the ground in front of me, perfectly intact. I picked it up with my right hand and pointed its forked end at the raven man.

As the entire rod was glowing with red radiance, I shouted. "You will never able to bring me down that easily!"

A fireball appeared, before leaving the tip of the staff and hitting the raven man on his face. The beast squawked out loud as the sphere of flame exploded, charring his entire face. He turned around, flapping his wings quite slowly and limply. He let out another squawk, before flying away from me, never to return again.

I proceeded to fold my rod into half of its length; about half of my height, before tossing it into my left sleeve. I looked at the craggy wall, allowing my sight to travel from the base of the stone ladder to the wall on the top. Painted in the hue of fiery orange, the wall was like a chameleon in my eyes, as the color of the sky had changed to the same color of the paint.

I walked to the rocky wall beside the stone ladder and sat down, leaning against the wall. I gasped and darted off, as the surface of the wall was rough. _I'd rather not scrape and hurt my backside, although it felt cool._

Crossing my legs, I sat still, waiting for Serge and Kid. The bluff was growing cool as the sea breeze was blowing. It just felt like an invisible hand was caressing my face. Gentle and freshening. My heartbeat was slowing down to normal rate as I was enjoying the wind, but it abruptly rose again as I heard a couple of yelling.

"Climb faster!" A girl's voice exclaimed.

"Be patient!" a man's voice replied.

"Slowpoke!"

"I'm just a human!"

"Lame reason!"

"Shut up!"

I giggled as I knew that they were Serge and Kid, who were still unable to act like adults. The voices were getting clearer and clearer…and Serge was the first to arrive and stand on my sight. Shortly, Kid had climbed to the terrain and was now standing beside the blue-haired man.

"No more quarreling?" I sneered.

Serge and Kid simply smiled, as if nothing had happened.

"Oi, we're almost there! Let's wait until it's nightfall, so we can rob 'em blind!" Kid said immediately.

I nodded. "I'd suggest that we have a nap here, so we could have more energy at night."

After saying that, I lay on the ground and closed my eyes. _At least the ground was not as rough as the wall._ A few seconds had passed, and I felt like drifting on the air. I could also feel that I was inhaling and exhaling rhythmically…

_"Sister! Where are you?"_

That voice shocked me, but I did not even open my eyes. However, a cry followed it. An infant? A child? woke up and looked around. On my sight, everything had turned into the shades of dark blue, but fortunately, the moon had cast a beam of white light that brightened the area slightly. Serge and Kid weren't around, but instead, I saw a blue-haired child in purple robe.

_This kid… I swear that he wasn't here earlier! _I got up and walked towards him. Crouching, I patted his back. "Young one, how can you get here? This bluff is dangerous for a little boy like you!"

The boy turned to me while rubbing his eyes. "My s-s-sister… She's…"

"If you want to, just tell me what has just happened. Maybe it can make you feel better," I said.

He stopped rubbing his eyes, but his tears were still streaming down his pale cheeks.

Opening his eyes, he said in shaky voice, "My s-sister is gone! She's my only f-friend…because daddy is d-dead, and mommy is nothing but a mad woman!"

Poor little boy… I could feel something wet filling my eyes. Although I barely knew this child, his words touched my heart. He was a loveless boy, was he not?

The boy then asked me, "You… Are you related to me? Your green eyes and blue hair… You are so alike with me and sister!"

I gawked. Now, even more questions had appeared in my mind. Who was this boy? Why did he say that I look like him and his sister?

"Mister, you…" His voice rose and turned into a scream. "You remind me of sister!" he said with teary eyes, before running towards me and giving me a hug.

He was so attached to his sister I assumed. Allowing his head to rest on my left shoulder, I could feel something wet yet warm seeping into my garment.

Stroking his back, I said, "I wish that I could be like you… At least, you still have a family. I am merely a magician who has neither goal nor family. I just know that... there's something I need to find."

"Mister…" the boy said as he let go of me and leaned back. "Thank you for consoling me! Could you accompany me for a while?"

This boy was such a child prodigy. I felt that the way he spoke was not quite fitting for someone so young… I gulped as I thought that.

Before I could speak up, a girl's voice suddenly asked, "Excuse me, can I know what has just happened?"

I got up and turned around, only to see that the blue-haired girl had appeared again. Green-eyed and blue-haired, just like me and the little boy.

"Miss, this boy is searching for you," I told the girl.

The girl frowned and replied coldly, "A boy? I don't see anyone."

I turned around, but surprisingly, there was nobody. Where had that boy gone? Was he just an illusion?

"But…how? Miss, could you clarify for me about who you are and what is happening here?" I asked.

"You're easily distracted, aren't you?" the girl said sarcastically. "Just like I thought, when I appear, you ignore everything and focus only on me. You don't even care about _yourself_."

"Myself? Miss, please, I'd appreciate if you tell me everything directly," I told her. I was growing tired of her vague explanations about everything.

The girl kept silent as she hovered to the air.

Flying backwards, she said, "Should you care about yourself, you'd have known who that boy is. Farewell."

"Wait! I need to talk with you!" I called out loud, as I also flew to chase her.

Shaking her head, the girl said firmly, "You must stop thinking about me."

I flew as fast as possible, in hopes to chase her. However, when I was about to reach the edge of the terrain, I could feel tight grips on both of my arms.

"Let me go! I must get her!" I exclaimed, as I struggled to break free of the grasp.

No matter how hard I shook and squirmed, the force was pulling me back. I struggled to move to the front and fly, but I could barely lift myself to the air. Looking ahead, I found out that the figure of the blue-haired girl had gone far; so far that I could only see a fading silhouette of hers.

"No!" I screamed.

Gritting my teeth in anger, I looked to my left side, where I could see a pair of gloved hands on my arm. _What was happening? Who was preventing me from going further? _I looked to my right side, where I could see another pair of gloved hands on my arm.

_Wait! Two pairs of hands… This couldn't be a human!_

"Whatever you are, you've foiled my attempt to reach that girl!" I yelled. "Now show up and let me burn you to ashes!"

_"You're such a bloody idiot! Still wanna explore the mansion or not?"_

I gasped as the girl's voice was familiar. I blinked, before glancing back over my right shoulder. Blond hair and war-painted face, yes, this couldn't be wrong anymore.

"Kid...?" I asked under my breath.

The girl nodded and said, "You're flying in your dream, eh? Serge and I are afraid of you flying too far!"

The grip had loosened, allowing me to turn around. Looking at Serge and Kid, I felt guilty for getting them into this mess and pulling me back. My own matter... why had I been so troublesome to my companions? Perhaps I really had to abandon my thoughts about that girl so that I could continue the journey.

XXX


	4. Chapter 3: Enter the Mansion, Part 1

**IN SEARCH OF THE PAST**

**Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate all your thoughts and comments! :)**

**For those who played Chrono Cross, I refer Serge's weapon as a double-bladed staff instead of a swallow, because it actually looks like a double-bladed staff.**

**DISCLAIMER: Chrono Cross doesn't belong to me.**

XXX

**CHAPTER 3: Enter the Mansion, Part 1**

I told them, "I'm sorry for-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Kid had snapped, "We can talk about that later! Let's go!"

I watched her running to the stone ladder, jumping and clinging to the rocky steps. Like a lizard, she crept up and reached the top quickly. If I had not paid attention, I would have thought that she had just flown all the way up.

_Flying all the way up? Wait, what could I be thinking about?_ I looked around, not wanting to know the worst… Yes, Serge was nowhere to be found now. I looked up, only to see a blur of purple was running along the narrow terrain.

It could have been _that_ girl again. I closed my eyes and recalled what she had said to me. _"You must stop thinking about me."_

With those words echoing in my mind, I leapt and flew upwards, without seeing anything. I did not care about my surroundings anymore. I did not want to see that girl. I did not want to know anything about her. All I wanted was just to learn more about myself. Nothing else. I continued to fly, with my eyes shut. Although I could feel that I was getting breathless, I kept on flying upwards…until I felt something had hit my head. I barely realized that I had flown so far away from Serge and Kid; so far that their figures were as small as ants. _No wonder that I almost couldn't breathe._

The land below was rising as I flew down. When I could see nothing but the stone floor, I landed, with my two feet on the ground. Serge and Kid were standing together, lines forming between their eyebrows.

"Good to know that the rock I had thrown hit you, dreamer!" Kid said.

"I thought that you're behaving oddly, Guile," Serge said.

Truth. I could feel that I was swallowing excessively. I knew that what I saw, heard, and even felt, was concrete, but telling the truth would not be a good idea. Serge and Kid would never believe on what I was going to say…

"All right, let's get into the manor!" Kid exclaimed, pointing at a wooden door on the wall.

Then we walked towards the door, with Kid on the lead. Tilting my head to side, I could see that the door was partly open, revealing a patch of grass ahead.

"Here we go!" Kid shouted, as she pushed open the door.

Serge and I walked ahead, following Kid. Then we found ourselves standing on about a hectare wide garden, exactly on the southernmost corner. Palm trees and hedges were lined against the wall of the yard. To my right side, there was a path consisting of neatly arranged stone tiles, which formed a T junction in the middle.

"Where should we go now?" Serge asked softly.

A "shh!" came out from Kid's lips as the noises of clattering metal were audible. She then whispered, "Let's hide behind the bushes!"

We tiptoed towards a patch of grass ahead; our feet barely touched the stalks of the plant. Quickly, we walked to the back of the hedge and crouched.

"There are some guards lurking around the yard," Serge said, his voice was softer than that of a mouse.

"I'm not afraid of them," Kid said, gripping the scabbard on the left side of her miniskirt.

I stroked my chin._ Despite her 'ever-shifting appearance', I wouldn't believe that Kid could be the girl I saw earlier. She's just too hyperactive to be that blue-haired girl… No, no, no. I shouldn't be thinking about that._

I rose a bit, looking ahead. A circular tower stood there, next to a stone building. The tower emitted a beam of green ray, which formed a glowing circle of green light that swept across the ground and somewhat negated the shades of dark blue caused by the night sky. Thanks to the light, I could spot two men walking around the yard, their iron armor glinting off the floodlight. _Searchlight and guards in the darkest of the night… Hmm... A good reason why Viper Manor earned the title 'Impenetrable Fortress'._

A rustle. I thought that the night breeze had caused that noise, but when I looked to my right side, I found out that the wind had done nothing. Instead, what I saw was Serge rubbing his nose, eyes squinted.

"I think the bushes have irritated my nose…" Serge said, jerking away.

_Oh, no. If he sneezed, we'd all be…_

As I reached out my right hand to cover Serge's mouth, he sneezed, sending a rain of saliva to my palm as well as shattering the stillness of the night. I tried my best not to be finicky, but I really thought of finding a water source so that I could wash my hands! I turned and saw that a guard was walking closer to us. Closer and closer…until I could only see a pair of iron greaves in front of me. I looked up, to see that a guard was staring back at me.

"Intruders! Get 'em!" the man said.

Hearing that, I wasted no time to think or swallow; I pulled my staff out of my left sleeve and stretched it longer with both of my hands. With it, I swept the man on legs, sending him falling to the grassy ground with a thud and rustle. I looked ahead, where I could see another guard was running to us, his sword in his hand.

"Bloody hell! We're spotted thanks to your little flu, Serge! Now, get yer double-bladed staff ready!" was what I heard as I raised my staff.

I closed my eyes and channeled my willpower into my rod; my heart was beating faster as I did. Soon, I could hear some crackles from above. I opened my eyes, realizing that yellow electric current was flowing across the shaft of my staff. Looking ahead, a guard was standing in front of me, his sword raised.

"Do you think we would allow some street rats like you to sneak into the mansion? No way!" The guard exclaimed.

As he brought his sword slashing down, I jumped back and swung my staff, unleashing a bolt of yellow lightning. It hit the guard on his chest, causing him to shriek in pain. In less than a minute, the scream abated as he fell to the ground, motionless with smoke coming out from his charred armor. His eyes were wide open, glaring vacantly to the starry night sky.

_Ah, iron armor can't resist electricity well. Good._ I shortened my staff into about the length of a baton, before tossing it into my left sleeve.

I turned, only to find out that Kid was leaping gracefully from side to side, dodging every swing of sword from the guard. In a glance, she looked like a rabbit. I grinned and leapt, not wanting to interfere the fight. Hovering on the air, I saw that Kid ducked and jumped back, before slashing across the guard's eyes with her dagger. Seriously, if I were the guard, I would rather stop attacking her.

A crash. The guard had fallen flat to the ground, with a dent on the backside of his iron armor. Behind him, Serge stood proudly, pointing a blade-end of his staff at the guard.

"We're street rats, still remember that, mister? But you couldn't defeat us, too bad..." Serge smirked, before running the blade of his staff through the left side of the guard.

_Street rats...? How humiliating! _I only wanted to get that badge and fled, not to rob the mansion! Anyhow, I would flow with the current to avoid any problems.

With blood gushing out of the gash on his left side, the guard moaned and twitched, but only for a moment before he became motionless. I just realized that Serge and Kid were not normal teenagers. They seemed to be skilled in fighting and perhaps, killing.

I landed softly beside Kid, who was holding a bloodstained dagger.

"What do you think? We've just put the guard to _sleep_!" Kid grinned.

Truth be told, I had never expected this kind of response from a girl. It sounded just too horrific. This had just made me wonder how Serge could tag along with her…

"C'mon, let's get lookin'!" Kid said, turning around.

I blinked; Kid's hair was turning blue. _No, please, I hope it's not her again._

I leant back and closed my eyes, enveloping my sight in nothing but pure blackness. I would not care about her until I had learnt more about myself. Suddenly, amidst the darkness, I could see candlelight. It was dim, but a girl's face was visible behind the orange glow of the fire. It was _her _again.

Silently, I muttered, "No, please don't tease my mind anymore. I'll learn more about myself first, before talking to you."

The girl replied, "A wise choice, my dear. Being bound to me is useless, as you'll be sadder when we're apart. Farewell. May your wisdom lead your way to live a better life."

With that, the candlelight faded, leaving nothing but pure darkness on my sight.

Wait, she had just said that I was _bound_ to her! Did she mean that we were both related? If it were true then, why was she trying to avoid me? Why was she trying to convince me not to think about her?

_"Hello, Guile! Are you sleeping or what?"_

I refused to respond. Suddenly, I felt a slap to my face. I snapped my eyes open. Blond hair, yes, this time I was back at reality.

"Kid, I'm s-sorry," I stammered a bit.

Kid crossed her arms, chin lifted. "You're such a strange teammate, Guile!"

I had to admit that she was right. How could my mind drift away so easily? How could I spend most of the time thinking and dreaming about that girl? All these problems had been obstructing everything, but maybe, if I tried to solve it now...

I asked under my breath, "Kid, may I ask something about your past?"

I knew that this was silly, but I was ready to accept whatever she would say.

"Hell no! We're just acquaintances, aren't we?" Kid yelled, her eyes widening like those of a cat.

She walked away, to the position where Serge was standing still like a statue, his bladed staff still in his hands. Further in front, there was a beam of green light traveling across the yard in circles.

I flew towards him and whispered, "Serge?"

"Guile? Well, I'm just wondering about the searchlight. I'm sure that it won't be a good idea to be spotted for the second time," Serge said.

"Whatever will happen, I'm ready!" Kid exclaimed.

"Leave this to me." I smiled confidently while pulling my staff out of my left sleeve.

After saying out "Fireball", my rod glowed with red radiance. A sphere of flame had appeared on the forked tip of my staff.

"Guile, isn't it dangerous to cast a fire spell? You can burn down the entire garden!" Serge said.

_Ugh, what a simpleton! Of course I wouldn't be that stupid to aim at the foliage!_ I was about to smack my face with my palm, but… _Well, kids…_

"You're too exaggerating," I told Serge, before looking up to the circular tower.

The fireball grew bigger, into the size of a man's head. And I thrust my staff, launching the sphere of flame towards the source of the floodlight. I heard a scream, followed with a boom. Looking up, I saw the green light fading into nothingness. _I guess I had taken out the person that controlled the searchlight too._

"Now, let's continue!" Kid said, running rapidly to the iron double door of a stone building located further in front of us.

"But Kid… I feel that this is not the mansion!" I called out while tossing my staff into my left sleeve.

"Who knows that we can find riches inside?" Kid replied nonchalantly, placing both of her hands on the door.

With a sound of a scraping between iron and stone, the door opened, revealing yellowish radiance within.

Kid turned to us and said, "Follow me!"

Serge and I followed her into the building. Henceforth, we had to say goodbye to the shades of dark blue at the yard and the cool night breeze. Everything was yellow inside, but apparently, the hanging lamps were to blame. They did not only yellow my sight, but also cause me to sweat excessively. In addition, I had to inhale with my mouth as the place stank like a dumping site. It was just disgusting.

Despite all these, I could see five big steel cages in front of where Kid was standing. Inside the cages, there were huge, four-legged and purple-scaled animals. Long crests jutted from their heads like those of roosters.

_Were they dragons?_

XXX


	5. Chapter 4: Enter the Mansion, Part 2

**IN SEARCH OF THE PAST**

**Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry for the slow updates, because I immediately shut my word processor thanks to my 'inner critic' quite a lot of times.**

**DISCLAIMER: Chrono Cross doesn't belong to me.**

XXX

**CHAPTER 4: Enter the Mansion, Part 2**

I pulled my staff out of my left sleeve, preparing myself in case the animals I saw were ferocious dragons.

Walking with Serge towards Kid, I heard her telling us, "Ha! Those reptiles ain't gonna pose a problem for us!"

I looked ahead, where I could see the dragons glaring at us. Surprisingly, they were smaller than I saw before; about as large as stallions. With saddles on their backs, they looked even more similar to horses. Perhaps I had seen something wrong earlier because of the yellowness or the stench of this place. Seeing that the animals were merely wagging their scaly tails and humming, I tossed my staff into my left sleeve. They did not seem to be dangerous.

A man's voice suddenly called, "Hey there!"

I turned. It was a hunchback who had been calling us.

"Yes, how can I help you?" I asked the man.

"Oh," the man responded, "you must be the new helpers I was told about! Well, I'm expecting some help as my back has gone awry, and I can't feed the dragons as a result."

Judging from his words, I figured out that he was a worker in the manor. He should know a lot about the mansion if he were.

"Feeding the dragons for ya? Whatcha talkin' about?" Kid snapped.

Suddenly, Serge elbowed Kid on her gut and said, "I'm sorry, mister. This place has made her stressful!"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…?"

"Mister, we can help you, but I have a question," I said.

"Go ahead," the man replied.

"Could you tell us more about this mansion?" I asked.

The man gasped. "You're intruders!"

Kid, who was standing beside me, pulled out her dagger, "Yeah, of course we are!"

As Kid rushed towards the hunchback, I immediately reached out my right leg and tripped her. She fell flat to the ground with a thud. Before she got up, she turned to me and yelled, "Oi, bastard! Don't you hear what this guy has just said? We're intruders!"

I said nothing. I knew sweeping Kid's legs was not the right thing to do, but I felt that she was too overreacting…

Soon, I heard the man saying, "Well, actually there's no way you can enter the mansion without a key."

A brief pause. I then asked, "Mister, do you have the key?"

The man grinned. "Sure, and I don't mind giving it to you if you feed the dragons for me!"

_Feeding the dragons for the mansion key… It sounds like a fair trade for me!_

I turned to Serge, who was scratching his head. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good!" Serge answered.

I turned, to see that Kid had got up, looking at me with reddened face. I had a feeling that she had just realized her mistake.

"How do we feed them?" I asked.

"All you need to do is to bring the hay to the dragons," the man said.

Turning around, I saw a stack of hay was lying against the wall like a mountain. Five pails were neatly lined horizontally in front of the haystack.

"I understand," I said.

With that, I flew to the haystack, picked up a pail, and scooped the hay. As I turned with the hay-loaded bucket, the dragon inside the closest cage to the stack of fodder reached out its head through the gap between the steel bars. For one moment I gawked, but few seconds later, I realized that there was only a few strands of hay left inside the pail! I glanced at the dragon, whose mouth was bulging with a few yellow stalks on the sides of its jaws. Never had I thought that a dragon could have elastic jaws like snakes. This dragon could be starving or otherwise, gluttonous.

Soon, I saw Serge running past me, heading to the haystack. As he was scooping the hay with two buckets, I giggled. But then, my jaw dropped as he could carry two buckets of chaff without breaking a sweat! Well, I believed that I had looked down on him, only because he was shorter than I was.

With a hay-loaded bucket on each of his hands, Serge turned and walked towards me. "Hey, it's feeding time, you know?"

I smiled. "I'm just having a break."

After saying that, I felt something rough nuzzling the right side of my neck. I turned to see that it was the dragon earlier, with a smile on its face. I had a feeling that it was asking, _"Please, sir, can I have some more?"_

I closed my eyes and smiled as I thought that the dragon was as docile as a house cat. Stroking its head, I felt like I was petting a real cat. It was just warm and furry… But wait! Dragons were reptiles and they did not have fur. I snapped my eyes open. Fortunately, I saw a dragon, not a cat. Otherwise, I would blame myself for dreaming too much.

_"Guile! Whatcha doin'?"_

I blinked upon hearing that voice. I released the dragon's head and turned around, only to see that Kid was standing with her arms folded.

"Stop dreaming! Serge is really quick in feeding these dragons, while you're a slowpoke!" Kid yelled.

Sometimes I wondered whether Kid had ever learnt what respect was. I would like to see her helping Serge and I feeding the dragons but… it was impossible. Truth be told, I was sure that Kid would refuse to do this _manly_ job.

Without saying anything, I walked back to the haystack and scooped the fodder with the pail I was holding. As I was about to turn around with the hay-laden bucket, I heard a man's voice saying, "That's just about right! They may get sick if they eat too much!"

Soon, I saw Serge walking past me and putting down his pails on the floor. I asked, "Is the feeding time over?"

Serge turned to me and smiled. "Well, yeah, of course! Can never satisfy their hunger, you know?"

_So, when my thoughts were running wild, Serge had fed the rest of the dragons… _I might consider not letting my mind drifting away anymore, but there was just something that disturbed my mind… Perhaps it was something that was related to my past; something that I had been searching for all this time. But it might be wiser if I put that thing aside for now. There was something more important at this moment.

I put the pail on the floor and turned around. The hunchback was now smiling while holding a brass key in his right hand.

"Just remember to keep silent about this key," the old man said.

Before Serge and I could even move, Kid had run towards the man and snatched the key.

"Thank you, mister!" was what I heard from her.

Serge and I walked towards Kid. I looked at the old man, who was looking at me.

"Sir, if you have the time, can you teach this girl some manners?" the old man whispered.

I chuckled and nodded. Honestly, Kid's audacity was annoying, so I might need to teach her to act like a fine lady one day.

"Let's go now, mates!" Kid said, turning around with the brass key in her right hand and running towards the entrance.

Serge and I bade farewell to the old man before walking towards the entrance, following Kid.

The iron door was still wide open, which was something I was hoping for. As I was getting closer to the entrance, I could feel the coolness of the night wind. A bead of sweat ran down my temple as I felt the breeze blowing across my face. Soon, the noise of the humming dragons and the stench of the barn were non-existent as I walked out of the door. The shades of dark blue outside too, had replaced the yellowness of the stable. Now, it was much like a sound void, except that the noise of leaves rubbing together was audible. It was a windy night.

Walking together with Serge and Kid to the T junction of the rocky pathway of the yard, I tried to look at the brass key Kid was holding. There was just suspicion growing in my mind. Why did the man give us the key without any qualm? Was he just being lazy or giving us the fake key or such? Although I was hesitant to ask Kid…it would not be wrong if I asked, would it?

"Kid, I'm just wondering if this key is fake or such…" I muttered.

Kid stopped and said, "Stop being meddlesome, will ya? We barely know each other and you're being such a pain in my arse!" She then brought her right palm closer to my face while pointing at the flat circular end of the key with her other hand. "Don't you see this dragon picture? There's no fake key that has this kind of drawing, ya blithering idiot!" She turned away.

Being snapped so harshly; it was just the response I had predicted. But I would rather swallow up whatever she had said, because getting angry would only lead to something worse now. We continued walking to the junction and turned right, where there was a pair of pillars standing on the sides of the stone pathway.

_This must be it._ We were about to reach the mansion door soon. As we walked, I could see the towering shadows of palm trees and the mansion. Unlike the yard, I could hear sounds of clattering metal nearby. They were loud as if the metal was directly in front of me.

"Oh, chickens!" Kid said, running towards the junction of the rocky pathway. There, she waved her hands while shouting, "Oi! Come here and let me kick yer sorry arse!"

"Kid! Come back here!" Serge shouted, chasing Kid.

A fierce shout followed, "Intruders! You won't get away from our wrath!"

The noises of metal beating the stone floor were faster than the clopping of horseshoes now. I immediately inserted my right hand into my left sleeve and pulled out my baton-sized staff. Holding it, I flew towards Serge and Kid.

"Kid, what have you-" I asked.

But Kid interjected, "Shut yer trap!"

Kid's attitude was getting on my nerves. I clenched my jaw, but then I felt that getting angry would not be a good idea. I had better keep quiet now and focus on the coming combat!

Looking to my right side, I saw two guards running towards us, raising their swords. Before I could start casting a spell, Kid had run towards the men. Was she always that daring and insane?

I placed one hand near the top of my staff and one under the handle. Then I pulled it, lengthening it into about half a meter.

Looking ahead, I saw both of the guards were swinging their swords. But Kid ducked and slid, both dodging the slash and sweeping the guards' legs. Crash resounded as the guards' iron armor hit the ground.

Kid got up, turned back, and looked at us. "Follow me!"

Serge immediately ran towards Kid. Unfortunately, the guards had regained their balance and got up.

Raising their swords, they roared, "Go to hell!"

A swing of their swords would be fatal for Serge. Fortunately, he managed to jump over the heads of the guards. But of course, problems might come if the guards were not killed or put to sleep… Apparently, they had completely ignored me at this moment, but they were chasing Serge.

I closed my eyes. My right hand was now hot and burning. Slowly, I could hear crackling noises, but also followed with steady clatters of metal. I snapped my eyes open and saw blue electricity dancing along the shaft of my staff.

_Aim carefully… _My heartbeat rose. Sweat was running down my neck. I had to kill both of the guards only with a spell. Otherwise, everything would be more complicated.

_One…_

_Two…_

_Fire!_

I swung my staff and unleashed a stream of blue lightning.

Soon, there was an explosion followed with a painful scream. Looking ahead, a guard had collapsed. Threads of smoke were arising from his charred armor.

I failed… Now, the surviving guard was running towards me, holding his sword two-handed.

No more time to cast a spell. The guard would reach me faster. I looked at my staff. It was the end, was it not? No! The forked end of my staff was sharp. I could probably throw it like a javelin. But if it did not kill the guard, I was done for.

"Good night, intruder!" was what I heard. Loud and clear. The guard was certainly close to me now. Perhaps he was only about a meter away from me.

I leant back. Then a war cry left my lips as I bent ahead and threw my staff.

A crash. Raising my head, I saw my rod transfixed on the guard's stomach. Blood was dripping from the shaft near the pierced iron armor. The man was trembling but silent. The sword dropped from his hands. Soon, he fell. As his body hit the ground, my cane tore out of his back and landed softly on his metallic armor.

After picking up my bloodstained staff with my right hand, I smacked the handle below with my left palm. It was now about twenty centimeters long. With that, I tossed it into my left sleeve. But the feeling was strange. I could feel something wet trickling down my left forearm. I looked at my left sleeve, which was now red and slightly wet. Stench of rusty iron emanated from it and disturbed my senses. However, it was useless if I let such minor thing be an obstacle. I would put aside this problem first because once I had settled our business in this mansion, I would have my garment washed.

I flew towards Serge and Kid, who were standing further in front of me, right under the protruding canopy of the mansion. The night breeze blew as I flew. My heart was beating slower now. Also, I was no longer sweating excessively like earlier.

I stopped in front of Serge and Kid. While Kid was inserting the brass key into the keyhole, Serge was standing still.

"Guile, what took you so long?" Serge asked me, scratching his head.

"I dispatched all the guards. I'm afraid that they can trouble us if they are still alive," I answered.

Serge smiled. "That's definitely a good idea! You know, you're really a good addition to our team with your intelligence."

"That's my ability." I chuckled.

Serge was quite a nice person I thought. While Kid... She was just brash, but I believed that she was not that brusque. Serge was too friendly to tag along with a girl like her. Perhaps Kid had the heart of the girl that I saw earlier. That blue-haired girl... She looked gentle and kind…

Suddenly, there was a creak. Also, I heard Kid saying, "Booty! I'm coming!"

XXX


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